Midgardian Dreams
by icaruspandora
Summary: A short story in three chapters about Jane's dreams while running from Malekith with Loki and Thor. A fairy quiet story, actually. Slightly Lokane-ish by the end. (Hoping I got the genres right.)
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Thor. Or Loki. Or Jane Foster. I own nothing in the Marvel Universe and I certainly didn't invent the characters who belong to it, mentioned and unmentioned, nor do I own the plot of the movies. I'm just using them for a bit to tell a story that popped into my head.

Please note: this story is inspired by the Thor 2 trailer. Hopefully, a lot of Lokane shippers were inspired by that trailer because I really love reading good Lokane fic. Interestingly, this story doesn't have as strong a Lokane element as I had originally thought. But I like it. And I like the ending. I hope you like it, too. Thank you for reading. And if you feel this story is worth a review, thank you for that as well. :)

* * *

She hated him. That meant quite a bit to Jane. She'd never hated anyone.

Oh, sure, there had been professors who had made her feel like she could smack them with a textbook and feel no guilt. There had been men who turned out to be boys that made her want to scream into the night sky. Sometimes she did. But no one, _no one_, living or dead, had made her hate. Not like Loki.

It didn't matter that Loki had done nothing to her since Thor had shown up to rescue her, Loki leading them through the terrain of Malekith's kingdom as if he were well acquainted with it. He probably was, she thought as they settled down to rest. Chances were good he'd betray them before this was all over.

A cold wind blew above them, swirling down into the small bit of shelter they'd found. Yeah. Rest. Curled up inside Thor's cloak, she shivered. Even now, she could hear the rumblings of conversation between the two. A god and...whatever Loki was. Not a god. She'd seen them in Asgard, kind, benevolent, always ready for a laugh. Or a war, if necessary.

"She needs to move faster," she heard Loki say. "Malekith's armies are gaining on us."

"Would you have her walk as if she were healed?" Thor's chastisement was much, much too mild. Jane would have shouted. No, she told herself. You wouldn't want Malekith to hear it.

"I would have her move as quickly as possible away from those who would destroy both you and her together."

Thor's chuckle held a bitter edge. When he spoke, however, he sounded concerned. "When will you come home?"

"Heh. You know better than to ask, _dear_ _brother_." The hatred that oozed out of Loki's words nearly matched Jane's for Loki.

"You didn't hear my command when we last met. I thought perhaps, if I asked-"

"The day is long tomorrow, as it was today. Best to sleep."

She heard Thor's sigh as he stood up. "I will watch. Rest...brother."

Loki gave no answer. Carefully, Jane opened her eyes. Loki stared at his brother as he took position with a face that held no emotion. No wonder, she thought as she looked at him. He doesn't feel any.

_Frost giants_, Fandral had explained not long after Jane had arrived, _have no heart_. _They're terrible monsters who eat the young of other species, tear up the forests, turn the whole world into a frozen wasteland, and never bat an eye. It's no surprise Loki tried to destroy New York._

_He was always like that_, Volstagg had continued. _And always jealous._

Thor stepped outside the small cave they had found, recessed into the ground like someone had shoved a gigantic pillar into it. It connected to a series of caverns, but Jane slumbered at the mouth of it, while Loki remained in the recess, under the stars.

Jane closed her eyes, hoping sleep would come, even after going through horrors that made her feel weak and helpless, even now. Hate Loki, she thought. He's the reason you're here at all. His plots. His plans. His-

"I can feel it, you know." Loki's voice was almost seductive, but it was the words that made her freeze. "You carry your hatred like a cloak about your shoulders."

She said nothing.

"Oh, don't try to pretend you're asleep." He sounded disappointed. "I'm bored, Midgardian. I require intelligent conversation, but I'll have to do with you."

As if that'll make me talk, she sniffed. Ph.D. in astrophysics, and he thinks I can't hold my own in a conversation.

"What do you see in my brother?"

That did it. "He's kind, thoughtful, respectful-"

"And it doesn't hurt that he's a god, I imagine."

"It doesn't matter to me. I knew him when he was a human. Mortal, I mean."

She opened her eyes now, hating how she had tripped over her words around Loki. Sure enough, the corners of his lips had quirked upward in a smirk that made her want to smack him with something. Mjollnir, if she could get her hands on it. His smile grew. "But he still considered himself a god. He told you of the wonders of the sky and of his homeworld."

"And I thought he was crazy."

"But you listened. And you adored. And why did you adore, little mortal?"

She sat up, hands clenched in fists. "Because he's good."

"Is he? Is that why Midgard is full of chaos and corruption? Because of his goodness?"

"He's kind of had his hands full with you."

"I'm describing the Midgard that existed long before he and his friends went on their pleasure jaunts to its surface. Didn't they tell you about those?"

"Don't. You're not going to get into my head."

"Good, because I don't like wide, empty spaces."

She would scream. She really would scream. Taking a deep breath, she noticed him watching her more closely than before. "It was for fun, you know," he said. "The Midgardians would fall to their knees and offer feasts to make sure we would remain benevolent gods."

"Did they?"

"Oh, yes. And your good and pure beloved drank it in like mead. He'd have contests with the Midgardians to prove his strength."

"He's not like that now."

"And how do you know? What do you know of my brother from your, what was it? A week? Or am I being generous?"

She laid back down with a fierceness that she knew would only make his smile grow. "I know, okay. Whatever he was before, he softened up after he came to Earth. So, don't tell me who he was. I know who he _is_. And you know something?" She sat up again, leaning on one elbow. "If he wasn't good, he wouldn't keep trying to bring _you_ back into his family."

His blue eyes darkened. "His. Not mine. Didn't they tell you that?" He leaned in, and she fought the need to scramble back into the darkness of the cave, further away from those eyes that couldn't possibly show anything other than fury. "I'm surprised they didn't tell you anything about the monsters of Jotunheim. They should have. It would have only been right, since you're an innocent about such things."

"Yeah. They told me."

For a moment, a flicker of pain crossed his eyes, so faint, so brief, she was sure she'd imagined it. His smirk grew. His gaze narrowed. "Tell me, Midgardian, beloved of my brother, did they mourn? My brother tells me so, but I must confess, I see them throwing a feast in honor of my departure."

They did throw a feast. Volstagg had been describing how feasts are done and accidentally called the one celebrating Odin's awakening a "Farewell to Loki." Sif had glared at him, but he had shrugged it off. The one who'd care the most, he'd said, isn't in the room.

Another flicker of pain. "Don't bother. I see the truth in your eyes."

"What did you expect?"

"To be king." The answer was so simple, so matter-of-fact, it stunned Jane.

"Why?"

"Why, indeed." And now it felt as if he was watching her closely. Studying her. "Why should I describe my disillusionment with someone who has yet to see things as they are?"

"I see a helluva lot more than you."

"Do you? How is Sif these days?"

Jane blinked. "Fine. Why?"

"Tell me, Midgardian, when they introduced you in the court of Odin, did she give place to you at the table?"

Jane hesitated. She had been very aware of Sif's coldness toward her, but to admit it to Loki would be like handing a pyromaniac the key to the dynamite.

And no, she hadn't. Thor had been the one to give her place.

Loki sighed. "This bores me. I can see your answers without a single word spoken. What does my brother see in you?"

My brother. Spoken as casually as if she were out camping with the whole family.

But he was a frost giant. A monster. And he'd casually murdered a good portion of New York, without a single thought for the lives lost.

_Why do you want him back?_ she'd once quietly demanded while Loki had walked ahead.

_We are brothers_, Thor had replied. And then he had tried to explain how Asgardians viewed people from Earth. But he had stopped several times, then given up, ending with the phrase he'd started with. _We are brothers._

She laid down, snuggling under his cloak, wondering how Thor could forgive so easily when so much damage had been done. Unless...no. That was Loki twisting her thoughts. Thor was, _is_ good. And he cares, she told herself. And when he didn't, that was then, not now.

Still, the thoughts swirled, mixing with the brief glimpses she had had of pain in Loki's eyes.

"You annoy me, Midgardian," Loki murmured. "Your thoughts shout through the darkness."

"Do they?" Her curiosity mixed with her anger. "Then tell me what they are."

"I would if your thoughts were as simple as before."

His honesty surprised her. She was about to say something when he held up a hand. "Do you require assistance sleeping?"

"Not from you."

Anger roiled in those blue eyes, though his smile didn't fade. "Sleep, Jane. For the sake of the god you love."

A wave of exhaustion swept over her. She fought it, simply because it was from him.

This time, his voice was softer, and almost kind. "For Thor, Jane. Rest." And just before she drifted off, she could have sworn he said, "For my brother."

...

In her dreams, the sky was filled with stars as she walked down the street. Houses were nothing more than silhouettes, the street itself dark, lit only from the enormous planet that dared come so close, she could see continents hazily through its atmosphere, in a range of pastels. And beyond it, the blackness of space. And the stars.

She stopped and admired the view for what felt like an eternity. This, she thought, is why I became an astrophysicist. To study wonders like this.

Freaks of nature, you mean. She shook away the correction from her head. "There's no such thing as a freak," she said. "Everything has its reason for being."

"You are very kind," Thor said from behind her. Reluctantly, she turned away from the marvel in front of her to consider a marvel of a different kind.

Before she knew what had happened, she was in his arms, the stars and planet gone. Darkness surrounded them. His kiss demanded everything of her, consumed her. Her arms weak, she tried to push him away, breathless. "Wait."

"Why?" His kisses on her neck made her legs feel like jello. "You've wanted this, have you not?"

"Yes. No. I mean-" she couldn't say it, how weak she felt now that he was who he was.

Is. Who he is. He's the same man I fell in love with.

Except, she realized as thought began to leave her, he's not. There was more. She knew it, felt it, if only she could gain enough distance to realize it. Her thoughts surveyed the dreamscape surrounding her. She felt as if someone else were watching this. She tried once more to push away, but, as sometimes happens in dreams, she couldn't even command her arms to try.

Thankfully, Thor paused. "Is there something wrong?" He pulled back enough for her to look into his blue eyes. "Jane?"

She shook her head. "You're a god."

His smile made her heart skip. "Not really."

"Okay, not a god, then. But you're not-" She looked up, seeing no stars, only darkness. "What's next?"

And they were in the feast hall of Odin's palace. Around her, men told tales of monsters vanquished, and women wooed. But the women held her attention. They sat, in their clinging dresses, leaning on the arms of the men, smiling at the jokes of the men, but told no tales of their own. Except Sif. But the others, even the queen, bowed to the wishes of the men. "This is what you know," she whispered, realizing what she would be expected to become.

Thor hesitated beside her and pulled her away from the hall. She resisted. "No, this is truth, isn't it?"

He sighed. "There is more than this."

"Show me."

He looked at her for a long time. "Where do you wish to go?"

Her heart cried out for the stars, and so that is where they went. They were lying on their backs, a canopy of stars above them, not the ones she had learned, but the ones he knew. One by one, he pointed them out, them, and the stories that went with them.

"They're beautiful," she said, when he had run out of stories to tell.

"They're yours. Or will be, if you wish it."

"No one owns the stars." And because the thought tickled her, she laughed. Stretching out her arms, she pretended to catch a handful. Instantly, her hands were full of brightly glowing orbs that had to be stars. Small ones.

"You do." She looked over to see Thor grinning at her.

She laughed and threw them back up to the sky. "No one owns them. That's what makes them so beautiful."

She felt his eyes on her and turned her head to look back at him. His blue eyes studied her with an intelligence she, frankly, hadn't known he possessed. His smile grew, and this time, he did as he'd done before, kissing her hand gently before turning back to the stars. "There are more, if you wish to hear their stories."

"Absolutely."

"Very well."

And they talked of the stars surrounding the Nine Worlds for the rest of her dream.


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you to those who reviewed! :D I hope you find this chapter enjoyable as well.

* * *

This time, they settled in a cave in the side of a large hill. This time, the rumbling of conversation between the two brothers was more one-sided. This time, Jane didn't want to hear it.

"You cannot push her any harder," Thor said. "She is not like us."

"I've noticed," Loki murmured. But that was all he said. There was no caustic reply, no flippant remark. "What will you do if you fail to bring her to safety?" Loki asked and heaven help her if she didn't think it sounded like a serious question.

"I shall fight them."

Loki said nothing.

Thor laughed. When he spoke, she thought he sounded uneasy. "Has your silver tongue finally run out of words?"

Again, nothing. "She is weak," he finally said. "She does not belong here."

"It isn't your place to decide who does or does not belong." Even Jane felt the chill in those words.

He's right though, she tried to tell herself. But she thought of her dream, and the women at the tables.

"Of course not. I'd forgotten." Loki's tone almost hid the defiance under his words. I hate him, she told herself, and let that hate, as he'd once described, cover her like a cloak.

Thor left to watch once more, this time at the mouth of the cavern.

Once more, she tried to sleep. Her body ached, her muscles unused to this much walking. Tears formed in her eyes. She wanted to go home. But she wanted to be with Thor. She loved him.

And she remembered the women at the tables and wondered if she would become one of them.

The cave suddenly felt colder.

"It will be different with you." Loki's soft voice filled the cavern. "He'll make up for your weakness."

"And you think he shouldn't." She opened her eyes and saw Thor standing there, oblivious to their conversation.

Loki followed her gaze and smirked. "Temporary silence. One of the things I learned while I was away. Though it is very taxing." He leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes.

"You don't want him to hear you badmouthing him?"

Loki rolled his head and opened his eyes. "What does he know of you? When I was last at Midgard, women had begun to wish for all kinds of things, none of them connected to their husbands. Are you like one of them?"

"Yeah. I-" did he understand the concept of an astrophysict? Did they have anything like that in Asgard? Or would she end up studying magic if she stayed with Thor? "I studied the stars. At least, until I found this really strange pattern and ended up running into Thor. Literally."

His smile was quick, and for a moment, she thought she saw something of what he had once been. But he turned away, and his voice when he spoke was full of malice. "It's a small dream, yours. Petty. Easy to give up."

His words cut. "Why are you doing this?"

"I'm sure you heard."

"Yeah, but why? How much pain do you want to inflict on-"

"Pain?" she had his full attention again. "You think I say this to cause him pain? If I wanted to hurt him I would have already tied you to a rock and cut you to a million ribbons. Not your face, though. No, there would have to be a way for him to recognize both you and your final moments of agony."

She could hardly find breath to speak. "Why haven't you?"

"Who says I won't?" His icy blue eyes nearly froze her tongue. Nearly.

"Well," she cleared her throat. "I'm sure Thor will find a way to stop you."

"Pathetic," he muttered.

Jane closed her eyes, her sore body screaming that there was no way she was going to sleep tonight. And yet, she breathed once, twice, and soon she was dreaming again.

...

Why does it always start like this? she thought. She was on her back, Thor above her, kissing her fiercely, devouring her once again. And then he was Donald, hurrying through this because he was on call and didn't have the time for more than a quickie. And then he was Gary, who had to rush because he was due to give a presentation in class tomorrow on his thesis and he'd already spent way too much time with her.

"I sacrificed, too," she snapped. And Thor was gone.

"Oh, no," she whispered and stood. On either side of her stretched the desert, with a single highway running straight to the horizon. He must be at the end, she decided, and began running. But the faster she ran, she less she touched the ground until she was running through the air, getting sucked up into space.

And then she was falling back to Earth, reaching out to the stars who only watched her with pity.

The dream ended, and she felt herself start to wake up. "Jane." Thor's voice was unmistakable.

"I can't be at those tables," she said. "I won't be...I can't...I tried once. With Donald and the other guys I knew, I tried to be the good girlfriend, who was supportive and understanding, and none of them, not one, tried to understand me."

They were in a clearing she'd never seen. The grass and leaves on the trees were as green as emeralds, and flowers surrounded them on all sides. She wore an Asgardian dress of gold and white.

"Someday," he said, "you shall be my queen."

"And do what? What is it that a queen does in Asgard?"

"Anything you desire."

"That's not true," she said, backing away. "It can't be. A king doesn't get to do whatever he wants."

"Of course he does."

"No, he doesn't. If he did, you wouldn't have been cast out of Asgard. Your father had a responsibility to his people, and he did it, even if it meant getting rid of you. So, what's your mother's responsibility? To help her husband, right? What did your mother do in her spare time?"

Thor stopped, puzzled. Then, his face cleared, and his smile was calm and somewhat sheepish. "I don't really know. I do know she was the one who told me all the names of the stars." He gestured above them and, even though it was daylight, she could see them there, beyond the atmosphere and the sun's jealous rays. "She loved them. And I remember her love," his face clouded, "I remember it very well." Thor didn't look at her then. He looked to the side of her, beyond her, at something she could only guess at.

"I'm sorry-" she began.

"No, don't. In the morning, we might both be gone. This is your world, your desires. What do you wish?"

And they were in her house, the one she shared with two other roommates when she was in grad school. The one she couldn't wait to leave. But Thor was there, sitting behind her on the floor, his back against the couch, and her back against his. Arms wrapped around her, she could hear the frown in his voice as they watched TV. "What is this show?"

"The Nutcracker. The movie version."

It's Christmas. In New Mexico. There is no snow, no sleigh rides, no need for wassail. But she can smell it on the stove and nestles deeper into his arms. "I like this."

"Then I am also pleased." He kissed her cheek. "What were your duties today?"

She told him her theories, her plans, her vision of what could be. And in return, he told her of the worlds, the Bifrost, of reality. And somehow the two visions meshed until she smiled and kissed him. This is what I want, she thought, loving the feel of his soft kiss, his arms wrapped around her, holding her tight. For the rest of the dream, they pour over charts, confirming and reaffirming and debating and soon she remembers why she loves his blue eyes, quick and sharp. And the more they discuss, the deeper she falls until she's the one pulling him closer, she's the one unbuttoning his shirt.

But she wakes up before it can go any further.


	3. Chapter 3

_This is the final chapter. Thank you for the reviews and thank you for reading. :) I hope you enjoy the ending._

* * *

They've stopped again for the night. Jane held her knees under Thor's cloak. One more day. That's all they have until they reach the place where the Bifrost can bring them back.

It wasn't Malekith's armies that worried her now. It was Loki.

He had snapped at her more often today, furious with the pace. She's too slow, he said. And so, Thor had carried her on his back, keeping Mjollnir in hand. Even with that, they hadn't moved fast enough for Loki.

Even now when they were in a cavern, deep inside this time, Loki glared at the fire, its green-blue tint flickering angrily on all the figures near it.

This time, it was Thor who said, "Rest, Jane. One more day." Loki said nothing.

But she was terrified of sleep. Sleep meant she would see a Thor who wasn't Thor. And each time she compared the one in her dreams to the one in reality, Jane would find herself wondering if the dream one existed at all.

It was an awful truth, one she couldn't quite admit to herself. That being with him was wrong. A mistake.

She closed her eyes and leaned her forehead on her knees. And fell asleep.

...

She was running through the halls of Asgard, searching for someone. She had looked in a room with a handful of aspiring wizards, but they told her the only one who could help her was in the wood. She went outside and found the Valkyrie practicing, but they only sneered at her dress (they wore armor and were ready for anything) before sending her toward the palace again.

Alone in the hall, she turned, not knowing which corridor to take. Finally, overcome by frustration, she screamed to the sky. Collapsing on the polished marble floor, she couldn't help feeling she'd wasted her time. No one was listening.

As she let go of her need to search, she became aware of another presence in her world. She held still, trying to mentally trace out the other mind she could almost make out if she focused. But each time she got close, each time the image promised to become clear, it was as if the other stepped out of range. Tired, she finally gave up. "What do you want?" Her voice sounded haggard and old.

She heard footsteps behind her and turned to see Odin. "I might ask the same of you."

She'd heard tales of the Allfather, of his Odinsleep and how he could wander through the dimensions during it. "Are you going to try to convince me to stay?"

He chuckled, his beard nearly hiding his grin. "If you must search for a reason, perhaps you've already made your choice."

"I love him."

"I love him as well. But love must never cloud reality. That is how kingdoms are lost."

His eye, sharp and clear and blue, studied her for a moment. And in that moment, part of the dreaming snapped open and she became aware. It had never been Thor in her dreams, just like it wasn't Odin talking to her now.

Odin disappeared, as did the halls of Asgard. But she could feel him. Watching.

Loki.

"How much did you twist this?" she yelled. "What do you want?"

He gave no answer. Even in my dreams I'm not strong enough, she thought.

"You're a pathetic girl." His voice seemed to come from everywhere. "If you must know, I haven't manipulated anything. I helped you relax so you could sleep and not slow us down any further. The dreams were all yours."

She shook her head. "I don't believe you."

"What do you expect me to say? That I took advantage of my future sister-in-law's affection so I could warp her desires? You don't want the life women live in Asgard. You already know it. You just won't admit it to yourself."

Sentiment. The word echoed through her mind with a sneer in its formation. In her dream, she tried to stay calm. "It's not fair that you looked into my mind and I can't see yours."

"You're only a mortal. Of course you can't see my thoughts. And I must admit it takes a certain amount of effort to walk through yours, especially with the thoughts you've had recently."

But he had made the effort. And never, at any time, did he push her into anything she didn't want. Perhaps, she considered, there's a reason Thor...and that was all she got before she jerked awake.

Thor slept deep, Mjollnir in hand. She heard footsteps and saw Loki walking toward the entrance.

Scrambling to her feet, she chased after him. He whirled, hands moving inside his long coat. "Not another step."

She stayed where she was. Neither one moved. "You haven't been fair to me," she said.

He chuckled. "Fair. What a quaint notion."

She thought over her dreams and said, "Answer me one question, and I'll go back to bed."

"You won't wake Thor to announce my desertion?"

"First, I'm pretty sure you did something to keep him asleep. You were pretty quiet, but he definitely should have heard me. Second, he can handle anything you throw at him." She took a deep breath, surprised that she wasn't afraid. Just nervous. "One question. Please. And then I have something to say to you after that."

"Your demands grow. Very well." His hand moved back into sight, without a weapon in hand.

"You were the one who learned the constellations from Frigga, weren't you?"

He didn't answer her at first, only studied her close. Then smiled. "Never."

She shook her head. Loki was lying. She was sure of it. "Thor told me what his father had told him. He never mentioned his mother."

Pain once more flickered briefly through his eyes. "Enough." Loki turned.

"Thank you."

He turned back to her, shocked. It was the first time she'd seen that expression on his face, and she had to fight against a giggle. "I mean," she continued, "I know you're going to betray us before all this is done, but," she sighed, "at least I got a good night's sleep before I got slaughtered."

His smile was faint, and thoroughly confused. "I thought you said Thor could handle anything I throw at him."

"He can. Not me. And you're right. I don't belong here."

He watched her for a long moment. "Come on," he began walking back the way they came.

"I'm sorry?"

He grabbed her wrist, and she had to nearly run to keep up with him. "Things will get very difficult tomorrow," he said. "You need your rest if you want to survive."

"But I-" they stopped and the look he gave her silenced anything more she might say. What did he want? Nodding, she went back to Thor's cloak and snuggled down underneath it. Loki didn't sit. He leaned against the wall, watching her with those sharp blue eyes that tried so hard not to reveal anything. Their eyes met, and for a moment, so brief she thought she might have imagined it, his gaze softened. Hugging herself, she waited. Sure enough, she breathed once, twice, and then she was gone.

...

All around her were stars. Below, above, to the sides, everything was space and the orbs that filled it. Arms wrapped around her, arms that she knew wouldn't take what didn't belong to him, in spite of his fury toward his brother. He'd had too many chances to damage her dreams for her to believe otherwise. "You're impressed?" Loki said.

"It's amazing." She allowed the wonder she felt to come through her voice. "This has to be from you."

"Oh, no. My memories of the stars aren't nearly as benevolent as yours. With a few exceptions."

"This is quite an exception."

He sighed. "What will it take for you to believe me? This is yours. All of it. Your dreams of what you most want to see while your meager life continues surround us."

"I could live with this." She swept her arm to include all she saw before her.

"Then you believe that this isn't my manipulation?"

"I'm not sure if it matters right now."

He leaned down, his tone emphatic. "This is not mine. It's yours."

"Why is it so important to you that I believe you?"

"Why is it so _un_important to _you_? Given your dreams, I'd assumed reality meant quite a bit to you." A pause. "Or do you think this is all the time you have left?" His next words were softer than she'd expected. "Do you really think I'll let you die tomorrow?"

She remembered New York. "You've let people die before." He said nothing. "I don't know that I'll ever forgive you for what you did." Her voice sounded small among the stars. Jane didn't know how to put into words what she felt. She didn't want to examine it too closely, either, afraid he would leave her again, and her world would become dark. Or that she would find herself once more in an illusion if he stayed. "Are you sure this isn't from you?"

Another sigh. "I'll prove it to you."

The stars shifted, becoming thicker, colder, and now she could see the outline of the nine worlds in tree-like form, the path between them writhing like crystilline snakes. "Wow," she whispered. "This is yours?"

"What do you want, Jane?" Loki said.

She stared at the changes around her, amazed at the magic, the science, the sheer impossibility and reality of it. She remembered New York, yes. But she had also begun to realize what Thor had been trying to tell her about his brother. And so she gave the best answer her heart would allow. "I guess I just want to use you for a while. It's only fair."

He chuckled, and held her closer. But that was all. That was enough. In fact, it was precisely what she wanted. For now.


End file.
